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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28315737">I’ll sink beside you.</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/saftey_car23/pseuds/saftey_car23'>saftey_car23</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Formula 1 RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Christmas Fluff, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 16:15:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,171</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28315737</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/saftey_car23/pseuds/saftey_car23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>‘Couldn’t get anyone to sit with you?’ Charles asked as he slid into the seat next to him. </p><p>‘You’re sitting with me, aren’t you?’ He replied with a smile. </p><p>-</p><p>Is Charles struggling with getting Carlos a present or does he just want to hang out with Seb again? Yes.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Charles Leclerc/Sebastian Vettel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>59</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>I’ll sink beside you.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>The title’s from Speaking Sonar by Summer Salt. </p><p>This is a secret santa gift for formulabarbi on tumblr &lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Charles had never broken a single bone in his entire life, although he had come really close to breaking an ankle about a year ago. </p><p>It was when Seb had first moved in with him, sometime in January or February. He had only interviewed Seb once before he moved in but he felt like it was enough. There was something about how he pointed at the posters on Charles’ wall and said, ‘You listen to these guys?’ with a chuckle that made him seem perfect, in a weird kind of way that Charles couldn’t quite put into words. Pierre had tried to tell him to at least consider the other guys that had asked about the apartment but Charles didn’t feel like anyone would be better than Seb. </p><p>Charles should’ve listened to Pierre but he was a little glad that he didn’t. </p><p>All Charles could remember from the day that Seb moved in was boxes. Loads of boxes. And cursing out the name of the moving company that Seb had hired but never showed up. They’d ended up calling Daniil and Pierre and this guy called Lewis that Seb was friends with to help them and, when they finally got everything inside the apartment where Seb wanted it to be, Charles passed out. </p><p>The next morning, he’d woken up and tripped over the boxes that he’d left around his bed and sprained his ankle. Just a sprain though, it wasn’t broken.</p><p>The night that Seb moved out was, thankfully, much more  different. There were moving guys who loaded all the things that Charles had helped to get into the apartment a few years ago  onto trucks that were headed to a bigger place that was a few minutes away. </p><p>‘I’ll miss you, Seb.’ Charles had wanted to say but he knew that his roommate would make fun of him if he did. </p><p>‘Looks like there aren’t any ankle hazards for you to trip over anymore.’ Seb smiled at Charles. ‘Call me anytime if you need me.’ </p><p>Thinking of Seb’s last night in the apartment and how they had drunk beer on the sofa that he let Charles keep in the small living room with no words between them but the occasional ‘Hey, remember this?’, Charles stared at the blank screen of his phone. Call me anytime Seb had said. Charles didn’t know if a week before Christmas would count as ‘anytime’, especially after the twenty three days that they had spent apart.</p><p>Charles knew that Pierre would’ve laughed at him if he were there. </p><p>‘Two year living together and you can’t even call the guy up?’ He would’ve chuckled.</p><p>Charles sighed. He pressed his finger into his favourite contacts and waited. He held his breath a little as he watched the little letters that spelled ‘dialing…’ and waited for them to turn into something else-- numbers, numbers that would represent each second that he had heard Seb's voice again. </p><p>‘Hello?’ </p><p>The clock started. </p><p>Charles’ heart jumped. ‘Hi! Seb?’ </p><p>A small laugh came from the other line. ‘Charles! Took you long enough to call, how’ve you been?’</p><p>‘I’ve been…’ Charles glanced at his bedroom door. Carlos was definitely watching a football match or something like that on the other side. ‘I’ve been good. How about you?’ </p><p>‘I’ve been great too. A little lonely though.’ Seb replied. ‘Lewis got a new job so he can’t come over as often.’ </p><p>‘Oh.’ Charles saw an opportunity. ‘Where’s he working now?’ </p><p>‘I don’t know but it’s far.’ Seb sighed. ‘I’m not sure if he’ll even be able to come over for Christmas, he’s been working really hard.’</p><p>‘And what about you?’ Charles couldn’t help but ask. ‘How’s your new job?’</p><p>Seb laughed. It was an empty kind of laugh. ‘It’s great. I’m a little tired but who isn’t these days?’</p><p>Coming from anyone else, like Alex or George, maybe even Pierre, a laugh followed by a depressing sentence would’ve been the start of a deep conversation that Charles knew would never be brought up ever again but it was coming from Seb. The king of cracking jokes about how shitty life was. When others cried, the only tears he’d shed were from laughing too hard. </p><p>‘If you want to blow off some steam, we could go out for a movie?’ Charles suggested slyly. Please say ok, he began praying to himself. Please, please say ok.</p><p>‘What’s wrong?’ Seb asked instead because he wasn’t telepathic. </p><p>‘What?’ Charles’ heart jumped at the sudden change of Seb’s tone. ‘What do you mean?’</p><p>‘We’ve never gone out to the movies. You obviously want to get me to the mall for some reason.’ Seb explained. ‘I can’t believe I actually expected you to get smarter over the last month.’ </p><p>Charles smiled. He’d missed Seb. </p><p>‘You know my new roommate right? Carlos?’ Charles knew that there wouldn’t be any point in arguing with him. </p><p>‘Yes. He made fun of me because my room was red.’ Seb said as if he’d never forgotten what the Spainard had said to him. ‘Did you guys paint over it, by the way?’ </p><p>‘Yes, it’s sort of orange now.’ Charles told him.</p><p>‘Orange?’ Seb remarked, obviously disgusted. Sighing angrily, he half-heartedly asked Charles to continue. </p><p>‘So, Carlos doesn’t really say much. He’s always weird  in the morning because he works late and I never see him at night. We’ve only really hung out once but it was only because one of his friends came over.’ Charles told Seb, who was listening silently from the other line. ‘I’m a little confused because I don’t want to get him a present but Pierre told me that he’ll probably get mad at me or something like that if I don’t. Plus, he might have a present for me.’ </p><p>‘So you need help shopping?’ Seb asked. </p><p>‘Yes.’ Charles nodded. </p><p>‘Why can’t you ask Pierre to go with you?’ Seb asked again. </p><p>‘Because I see Pierre everyday and he keeps telling me that I need to get new friends instead of asking myself whether it’s a good time to call you or not.’ Charles wanted to say. He went with ‘Pierre’s busy at work.’ instead. </p><p>Seb sighed. ‘How does, I don’t know, twelve, sound?’ </p><p>Charles couldn’t actually believe what he was hearing. ‘Wait, you’re actually agreeing to this?’</p><p>‘Yes.’ Seb sounded a little embarrassed.</p><p>‘Uh, yeah, twelve is great!’ Charles smiled as if Seb were right in front of him. ‘See you there?’</p><p>‘Yeah. Nice talking to you Charles.’ </p><p>The clock ended and the numbers disappeared. </p><p>There was something about whatever Seb said. Charles didn’t care if he spoke three syllables or three sentences, all he wanted was to listen to him go on about boring maps and late nights at work.  </p><p>Charles layed down on his bed and stayed there for a while with the stupidest smile on his face. He couldn’t believe that he had been scared to call Seb. </p><p>-</p><p>Seb didn’t like shopping. He’d told Charles many times before. Charles had always replied with a quick scan of whatever he was wearing followed by ‘I can tell’. Seb would tell him to shut up but he always smiled each time he said it. </p><p>He was sitting on a table all by himself in the food court when Charles saw him the next day. </p><p>‘Couldn’t get anyone to sit with you?’ Charles asked as he slid into the seat next to him. </p><p>‘You’re sitting with me, aren’t you?’ He replied with a smile. </p><p>--</p><p>‘What do you know about Carlos?’ Seb asked. </p><p>They were sitting in front of a couple of plants and an annoying branch kept hitting Charles in the face occasionally. ‘He likes Real Madrid. His friend Lando was making fun of them when he came to the apartment. You like football, isn’t there a jersey shop somewhere by the Bed, Bath and Beyond?’</p><p>‘There is but they aren’t good.’ Seb shook his head. </p><p>‘You’re just saying that because they don’t sell any Frankfurt jerseys.’ Charles laughed. </p><p>Seb smiled. ‘Fine, let’s go.’ </p><p>They got up and melted into the crowd of Christmas shoppers looking for a couple of last minute gifts. Charles couldn’t help but look at the watch that hung around Seb’s wrist-- a year ago, it was just a photo that he had seen in a shop display while looking for the perfect Christmas gift for his cool new roommate. </p><p>‘Wait, stop.’ Seb tugged on Charles’ arm. </p><p>‘What?’ Charles asked. </p><p>They were in front of a toy store. He pointed to a couple of small Ferrari Hot Wheels by the entrance. ‘I think I have a couple of minutes to spare, do you want to look at your Christmas present?’ </p><p>Charles smiled sarcastically. ‘Haha, very funny. Let’s go.’ </p><p>‘Really? You don’t want them?’ Seb asked as they continued walking. ‘They’re so small, I’m sure they’ll fit in your tiny baby hands.’ </p><p>‘All hands look like baby hands to you, your’s are massive.’ Charles murmured to him.</p><p>Seb laughed under his breath. He was still beaming by the time that they’d entered the jersey shop. </p><p>‘I think the Spanish jerseys are by the boots over there.’ Seb pointed towards a rack of well-lit football shoes that was surrounded by guys around his age. </p><p>‘Thanks.’ Charles nodded. ‘Where are you going?’ </p><p>‘The German section. I’m going to check if they have any Eintracht jerseys.’ He answered. </p><p>‘You’re only going to be disappointed.’ Charles chuckled. </p><p>‘No hurt in trying, though.’ Seb smiled. </p><p>Charles nodded. ‘True.’ </p><p>He left Seb alone to run towards the part of the shop that was almost deserted. </p><p>Charles didn’t know which jersey to get. Firstly, there were three different versions and he didn’t know which one Carlos would want more. Secondly, he didn’t know what size would fit Carlos. Plus, he felt out of place among the people murmuring things about football matches that he hadn’t watched. </p><p>‘I’ll just get him a card.’ Charles decided as he walked towards Seb, all alone in the middle of a sea of red shirts. ‘What team do these belong to again?’ Charles asked, pointing at one of them.</p><p>‘Bayern.’ Seb shook his head. </p><p>‘Haven’t you found a Frankfurt one?’ Asked Charles. </p><p>‘No. Why don’t you have a Real Madrid one?’ Seb gestured to his empty hands. </p><p>Charles shoved his cold fingers into his pockets. ‘I didn’t know which one to get.’ He looked up at Seb. ‘You were right, this place sucks. Do you want to go get those cars instead?’ </p><p>‘You’re kidding.’ Seb laughed, even though they both knew that they’d be going home with at least two toy cars each. </p><p>----</p><p>‘I’m going out!’ Charles shouted to his roommate from the front door of their apartment. He half-expected Seb to reply like he used to but Carlos did instead. ‘Your present is under the tree, by the way!’ He yelled before closing the door. </p><p>He had ended up giving Carlos one of the Hot Wheels that he had gotten with Seb. Who knows, maybe a small toy car was all it would take for them to start talking to each other?</p><p>Charles was done worrying about Carlos, though. He’d spent a week stressing about what he should get him. It was time that he moved on to the gift that he hugged against his chest at that moment. It wasn’t that far to Seb’s  so he decided to walk to it, early in the morning. </p><p>Stopping in front of the red door that Seb had introduced him to when he came to visit for the first time just a couple of days ago, Charles waited to see his former roommate’s-- his friend’s-- face. He would be awake, no doubt. That was what used to annoy Charles in that beautiful way that most things  about Seb would. </p><p>‘I’m coming!’ Seb shouted from the other side of the door. </p><p>Charles smiled at him as soon as the door flew open. ‘Merry Christmas!’</p><p>‘Charles Leclerc awake at six in the morning?’ Seb pretended to gasp. ‘Today’s the day that hell will freeze over, I’m sure of it.’ </p><p>‘Sebastian Vettel sounding like an old man?’ Charles imitated. ‘I don’t quite think it is.’</p><p>The both of them laughed for a while. It was strange, Charles couldn’t help but think. He had always thought of the cold winter morning breeze as an excuse to stay in bed for a couple more minutes but, looking at Seb, he didn’t know why he had ever been so bothered by it. </p><p>‘Can I come in? I have something for you.’ Charles smiled. Unless you’re happy with me out here, of course. I’ll be glad to sit on your welcome mat.’‘</p><p>Seb chuckled. ‘As much as I want to keep you out in the cold for as long as I can, I think you better come in, I have something for you too.’</p><p>Charles laughed as he walked straight into the hallway. It was nice and cozy-- exactly like the kind of hallway that he had expected Seb  to have. Thoughts of Christmas lights and the scent of gingerbread cooking in the oven sometime in the future filled Charles’ head. All the little entrance was missing was that and the small shoes and scarves of the kids that Charles knew Seb wanted so badly. </p><p>After putting the stupid ‘home slippers’ that Seb insisted on him wearing on, Charles turned to him. ‘Stay in the living room, I have to get your present.’Was all he said before running up the stairs like a giddy child. It almost made Charles nervous when he set the gift that he had spent quite a lot of money on down on the coffee table in front of the nice couch that faced Seb’s tv. </p><p>‘I know he’ll love it.’ He smiled to himself in reassurance.</p><p>He glanced up at the wall, where a ‘MERRY CHRISTMAS!’ banner was half-hanging. Seb had evidently already started decorating for the party that he had invited Charles to that evening. Charles chuckled. He’d only known Seb for about two years but there was something that would’ve made Christmas feel incomplete if Charles had declined the invitation to spend an evening with him and his friends in his stupid, well-furnished new living room.  </p><p>‘You’re too old for parties.’ Charles had shaken his head with a smile when Seb told him about it a few days ago. </p><p>Seb looked at him with the same kind of playful grin that Charles was giving him. ‘Shut up, you’re just scared that you’ll actually break your ankle this time.’</p><p>‘Ok, close your eyes.’ Seb’s voice cut through the air flavoured by recollections and the electricity that came with their first Christmas in his new home, catching Charles off guard and startling him out of his thoughts and back to the world inside of the large room with the new sofa. </p><p>‘Do I have to?’ Charles laughed. </p><p>‘Yes.’ He could hear Seb smile as he spoke, somehow. ‘Come on, I want to see your reaction.’ </p><p>‘Ok,’ Charles covered his eyes with his fingers. ‘I’m not peeking.’ He pointed out because he knew that Seb was about to ask him if he was. </p><p>The gentle music of the bottom of Seb’s shoes against the floor as he walked to the table filled Charles with a sense of bliss that almost turned him red. He was just about to complain about how long his friend was taking when he said, ‘Alright, you can open them.’ </p><p>Slowly, Charles dragged his hands away from his eyes. He saw nothing but Seb in front of him, staring at him expectantly. ‘What?’ He exclaimed, confused. </p><p>Seb laughed. ‘Look at the table, you idiot!’ </p><p>Charles’ gaze fell to the coffee table. Next to the gift that he had wrapped in the only red paper that Carlos had bought from the store, Charles spotted a key. He reached over and picked it up. He looked to Seb, who was smiling as broadly as he’d ever seen him smile. ‘I had it made yesterday. The last month without you has been, for lack of a better word, harder than I expected it to be so,’ Gesturing to the key, ‘I want you to have this so that you can come over whenever you want.’ </p><p>Charles didn’t know how wide he’d smiled but it couldn’t be any less than Seb. He felt like saying so much at once but he couldn’t decide on what to say. All that came out of his mouth was some stupid string of sounds that made no sense. </p><p>Seb laughed as if he understood everything that Charles had said. ‘Show me your gift, I can’t wait to try it on.’</p><p>‘How do you already know what it is?’ Charles complained jokingly. </p><p>Seb unwrapped the present without answering. He didn’t need to. </p><p>He held the Frankfurt jersey up. ‘Did you get this from Germany?’ He asked. He wasn’t saying anything about it but Charles could tell by the way his fingers brushed over the number on the back -- five-- and smiled that little smile to himself that he liked it. </p><p>‘No, Pierre knows a guy that sells jerseys of shit clubs.’ Charles grinned. </p><p>‘If I had a pillow right now I’d throw it at you.’ Seb laughed at him. </p><p>Charles laughed as well, sinking into the sofa with the key still in the middle of his palm. ‘I know.’ </p><p>Seb sat down next to him. Charles didn’t know if he had forgotten about his banner or if he was ignoring it for a while. Either way, it didn’t take away that beauty of the way he said, ‘Thanks, Charles.’ and let each sound roll off of his tongue perfectly, as if they were the only words he had ever learnt to say. </p><p>Another tornado of words and things that Charles wanted to tell Seb struck the inside of his ribcage, whirling around like angry prisoners wanting to break free. Maybe it was the smile. Maybe it was the way that Seb was looking at the jersey so proudly. Whatever it was, Charles couldn’t fight them this time. </p><p>‘I love you.’ The words spilt out of his lips before he could force them back down his throat and all he could do was wait for Seb to get mad at him for the mess he had made </p><p>Charles had expected a look of disgust. Eyes that told him that he had broken something followed by a hurricane of words, stronger than the storm that Charles was too weak to ignore and harsher than the words that had stained their friendship. A morning spent walking through cold streets with the winter air numbing every part of him.</p><p>It was probably a good thing that Seb had become the best person in the world at defying Charles’ expectations. ‘I do too.’ He said nonchalantly, like it was something that he’d been whispering to Charles on Christmas mornings like those for all of his life. </p><p>It was probably good that Seb had become pretty good at cleaning up Charles’ messes as well.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading the whole thing! I hope you enjoyed it, Merry Christmas!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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